Life and Nothing But

{{Infobox film

| name = Life and Nothing But

| image = Life and Nothing But VideoCover.jpeg

| caption = Theatrical release poster

| director = Bertrand Tavernier

| producer = Frédéric Bourboulon
Albert Prévost
René Cleitman

| writer = Jean Cosmos
Bertrand Tavernier

| narrator =

|based_on = {{based_on|The General of the Dead Army|Ismail Kadare}}

| music = Oswald d'Andréa

| cinematography = Bruno de Keyzer

| editing = Armand Psenny

| distributor = UGC Distribution

| released = {{Film date|df=y|1989|9|6}}

| runtime = 135 minutes

| country = France

| language = French

| budget =

| gross = $11.3 million{{Cite web|url=https://www.jpbox-office.com/fichfilm.php?id=5514|title=La Vie et rien d\'autre (1989) |website=www.jpbox-office.com|accessdate=December 12, 2024}}}}

Life and Nothing But ({{langx|fr|La vie et rien d'autre}}) is a 1989 French film directed by Bertrand Tavernier. It was inspired by the novel by Albanian writer Ismail Kadare titled The General of the Dead Army.{{Cite magazine|url=https://www.theparisreview.org/interviews/1105/the-art-of-fiction-no-153-ismail-kadare|title=The Art of Fiction No. 153|first=Interviewed by Shusha|last=Guppy|date=24 April 1998|volume=Summer 1998|issue=147|work=The Paris Review}}

Synopsis

Set in October 1920, it tells the story of Major Delaplane, a man whose job is to find the identities of unknown dead soldiers after World War I. He encounters two women looking for their lost men: Irène, an aristocrat, and Alice, a country girl. The movie is a sensitive examination of the deep psychological scars left behind by the war, clear of sentiment yet with delicately nuanced irony.

Cast

Philippe Noiret - Commandant Delaplane
Sabine Azéma - Irène de Courtil
Pascale Vignal - Alice
Maurice Barrier - Mercadot
François Perrot - Capitaine Perrin
Jean-Pol Dubois - André
Frédéric Pierrot - Marcel
Jean-Paul Comart - Fagot
Daniel Russo - Lieutenant Trévise
Michel Duchaussoy - Général Villerieux
Pascal Elso - The blind

Production

Principal Photography began on 1 November 1988.{{cite web | url=https://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/81324/life-and-nothing-but#notes | title=Life and Nothing but |website=Turner Classic Movies}}

Awards

The film was nominated for numerous awards. It won the BAFTA Award for Best Film Not in the English Language. It was also nominated for 11 César Awards, winning for Best Actor (Philippe Noiret) and Best Music.

Other films based on the book

The General of the Dead Army (Italian: Il generale dell'armata morta) is a 1983 Italian film starring Michel Piccoli, based on the novel, directed by Luciano Tovoli.
The Return of the Dead Army (Albanian: Kthimi i Ushtrise se Vdekur) is a 1989 Albanian film starring Bujar Lako, based on the novel, directed by Dhimitër Anagnosti.